Camden hires consultant for development post
July 23, 2010
CAMDEN — Town Manager Roberta Smith announced July 13 that the town of Camden has contracted with Eaton Peabody Consulting for the services of Mathew Eddy through the fall.
Temporarily filling a position that was funded through a line item approved at the annual town meeting June 8, Eddy will provide transitional services as the community prepares to add a permanent economic development director to its staff.
Eddy said July 14 that the town would pay $7,000 per month to Eaton Peabody for its services, and that he would continue to receive his salary from the firm.
"That's the same as full-time budget [for the development office]," Eddy said. "They're getting my experience, getting the office set up and getting a strategic plan done. You don't get just an individual. You get our consulting group and the staff expertise that we bring to the table."
While in Camden, Eddy will focus on business attraction and expansion in the community, Smith's press release said. Eddy will work to address issues associated with several key properties in town. Eddy will also work with the Camden Economic Development Advisory Committee to develop a strategic plan for short- and long-term economic development activities. That effort will include the development of a work plan for this summer and an inventory and analysis of issues critical to economic development efforts. The work, which will be coordinated with Gateway 1 efforts, will result in a strategic plan for Camden economic development efforts.
The strategic plan will be used to create a work plan that will be implemented by a permanent, full-time economic development director and will help inform the community about the skill sets that will be needed to fully implement the strategic plan.
Eddy will coordinate activities around the plan, and then work with the community to identify the ideal candidate to fulfill the role of director, the press release said.
Along with the team at the Eaton Peabody Consulting Group, Eddy will bring over 30 years in economic development and planning experience to the community. Eddy, along with his colleague Scott Benson, recently worked with Camden to establish two tax increment financing districts to service development activities in the downtown. The strategic planning work will continue that effort and help prepare the community to hire a new director in the fall.
"It's an interesting and fascinating period for the community," Eddy said. "I had fun doing the TIF work and this is an opportunity to continue that work."
Smith called on residents to watch in the near future for opportunities to participate in the process and help the community forge its economic future. Eddy will hold office hours on Tuesday from noon to 4 p.m., and Wednesday and Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Smith invited residents to stop in and share ideas about the community's economic future. Eddy can be reached at 236-3353 or by e-mail at meddy@eatonpeabodyconsulting.com. The Camden Town Office can be reached at 236-3353.
Courtesy of the Herald Gazette via The Village Soup
By Shlomit Auciello
The Herald Gazette Reporter Shlomit Auciello can be reached at 207-236-8511 or by e-mail at sauciello@villagesoup.com.